Consumer electronics and information devices have been developed to have various functions led by technology convergence/combination together with digital technology and network technology development. In addition, such digital convergence/combination devices and apparatuses are used widely at home and offices. However, supported functional convergence/combination and networking functions cause the consumer electronics and information devices to consume power by user's request and standby power while their users are not aware of the power consumption.
However, since users are not able to know how much power any specific one of their devices and apparatuses consumes over a specific period, they are not keen to save energy.
To address this problem, a technology currently available is to analyze and monitor the amount of consumed power and power consumption type by specifying a specific period for each electronic device by means of a meter for measuring total power consumed in each home and building in relation to monitoring energy consumed by each electronic device.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a conventional system for monitoring power consumed by loads.
Referring to FIG. 1, in the conventional system for monitoring power consumed by loads, the power supplied from an external power supply source 1 to each home 3 may be supplied to consumer electronics connected to receptacles through a distribution board 2 installed in each home 3. In particular, the distribution board 2 includes a power meter 4 for checking the state of the consumed power and the amount of consumed power supplied from the external power supply source 1 and consumed in the consumer electronics in the home 3.
The aforementioned power meter 4 may use the information about the power consumed by the consumer electronics, and their power consumption patterns to monitor them individually through a remote server.
The conventional system and the method for monitoring power consumed by loads are not able to detect additional power coming in from other power generation sources or energy sources than the external power supply source 1. Moreover, where the system is designed by adding a conventional power meter requiring high precision to detect the additional power coming in, designing the system costs too much and another issue involved is the system becomes unnecessary too big as a result of configuration of unnecessary components.